The common sole stock in the North Sea has grown in the past years and is since 2011 within biological safe limits again. The fishing pressure is almost at the level that is determined in the long-term management plan for sole.
A pulse trawl is a more selective method to catch flatfish than the traditional beam trawl, but there is still a lot of bycatch and a lot of discards. The survivability of these discards are low. A pulse trawl has a less heavy impact on the seabad than a beam trawl. The effects of the electric pulses on vulnerable species, like rays, are not fully known.
The management of this fishery is done at EU-level and a long-term management plan for sole has been accepted. This plan is positive for sole. However, measures are needed to limit the bycatch and environmental impacts.